FILE - In this Dec. 7, 2013 file photo, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer hangs his head on the sidelines in the second half of a 32-24 loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten Conference championship NCAA college football game in Indianapolis. Over Meyers 2-plus years and 34 games as head coach, the Buckeyes have played only seven times against teams ranked by The Associated Press. Theyre 5-2 heading into their only meeting against such a team, Michigan State, so far this season. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 7, 2013, file photo, Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio, right, is congratulated by Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer following the Big Ten Conference championship NCAA college football game in Indianapolis. After beating up on lesser opponents for six straight games, No. 13 Ohio State gets to see just how good it is. Up next, No. 7 Michigan State. (AP Photo/AJ Mast, File) ORG XMIT: NY170

FILE - In this Dec. 7, 2013 file photo, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer hangs his head on the sidelines in the second half of a 32-24 loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten Conference championship NCAA college football game in Indianapolis. Over Meyers 2-plus years and 34 games as head coach, the Buckeyes have played only seven times against teams ranked by The Associated Press. Theyre 5-2 heading into their only meeting against such a team, Michigan State, so far this season. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 7, 2013, file photo, Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio, right, is congratulated by Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer following the Big Ten Conference championship NCAA college football game in Indianapolis. After beating up on lesser opponents for six straight games, No. 13 Ohio State gets to see just how good it is. Up next, No. 7 Michigan State. (AP Photo/AJ Mast, File) ORG XMIT: NY170

The entire Big Ten season has been leading to this: Ohio State vs. Michigan State.

The winner is on track to play for the conference title and make a case for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

The loser is left to play its way into a nice bowl and hope for the best. A championship of any kind this season will be highly unlikely.

On Saturday, six games pit ranked teams against each other, and they’re dripping with playoff implications from the Big 12 to the Pac-12 to the Southeastern Conference. None of those games has more at stake than the rematch of last year’s Big Ten title game at East Lansing, Michigan.

The Spartans kept Ohio State from playing in the final BCS championship game and snapped the Buckeyes’ 24-game winning streak in Indianapolis last year.

The Buckeyes (7-1) then lost the Orange Bowl to Clemson. Then they lost star quarterback Braxton Miller to a shoulder injury before this season started. And they lost at home to Virginia Tech.

With J.T. Barrett blossoming into a fine replacement for Miller, Ohio State hasn’t lost since — but outside of their passionate fans, nobody seems to take them seriously.

“This is a game to get the respect that Ohio State deserves and has had in the past. You have to go compete and win this game and it’s going to be a task. But that’s real,” Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said.

Michigan State (7-1) went to Oregon in Week 2 and played the Ducks tough for about three quarters before letting them fly away.

The Spartans, like the Buckeyes, have been going about their business rather quietly since.

The Big Ten has afforded both teams with few opportunities for the types of victories that can get the selection committee’s attention. The Spartans got one against Nebraska. Ohio State has been laying waste to the middle- and lower-tier of the Big Ten, save for an overtime victory at Penn State.

That makes Ohio State-Michigan State basically a playoff elimination game. And because the Buckeyes and Spartans now play in the same division, the Big Ten East will be all but out of reach for the loser.

No pressure, guys.

The picks:

MARQUEE MATCHUPS

No. 4 Alabama (minus 6½) at No. 14 LSU

Tide has won three straight in series. Bama hasn’t won four in a row against Tigers since 1989-92 ... Alabama 24-20.

No. 5 Oregon (minus 9½) at No. 20 Utah

Led by DE Nate Orchard, Utes lead nation in sacks at 4.88 per game. Can Ducks keep QB Marcus Mariota comfortable? ... Oregon 28-21.